End Human Trafficking Before It's Too Late

They say that we as human being have a right to be free from any form of slavery, abuses, violence and fear. They say that those rights are our fundamental rights as human and we should be respected equally no matter how rich or how poor and it's protected by The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. They also stated that children need to be protected because they are vulnerable and children are not supposed to work in a horrible environment or even worse become sex slave for adults. But do what they say are what we see in reality? If the answer of this question is yes, then why more than 27 million people and more than 13 million children are trapped in Slavery at this moment you read this article?

Slavery and Human trafficking are illegal everywhere. But they still occur everywhere. Slavery and Human Trafficking happens in nearly every country in the world, developing or developed countries.
We are now living in a world where Human Trafficking is the fastest growing criminal enterprise. 75% Of Human Trafficking is for sexual exploitation and are female. And over 50% of all Human Trafficking victims are children. These individuals are forced to work every single day without pay, under threat of violence, and they’re unable to walk away. There's no access for them to run once they are trapped in those malicious circumstances. You can find them in brothels, factories, mines, farm fields, restaurants, construction sites and private homes. They are forced to do things that they never imagine before, and they are treated not like a human. They don’t know what it feels like to be respected, to have dignity and to have a secure feelings like we do. Based on United Nation data, the average age of a young woman first being trafficked is 12-14 years old. Can you imagine a 12 years-old girl had to face the harsh reality that she has to serve people that she doesn’t even know, and do things that are against her will ? It's even more bitter because she had to realize the fact that she doesn’t have the opportunity to reach her full potential and thrive as an individual. Girls in that age should experience a joyful day having fun with their friends, having a good day,having a good education and experience how it feels like to be a normal teenagers. But the victims of Human Trafficking can't feel it. They are lucky enough if they don't get killed. Human trafficking caused bruises to its victims that will never fade away. Victims of trafficking usually devastating not only physical but also psychological harms. And they don't deserve to get these harms.

I read a story about Svetlana, she is an ex trafficking victim from Moldova, who sold to Turkey by her own friend. When she was asked about how the condition in the place she worked as slave, she answered "I was 18. The clients would cut us with knives. They used drugs. I was locked up. I had to be with 15 men a day, sometimes even 20. They would beat me until I fainted, then throw water on me and tell me it was time to "work." There was nothing you could do. They had guards watching you at all times. It was impossible to leave. It was horrible to have sex with men there. They do whatever they want. They asked me why I was always crying. I told them, but they didn't do anything".

Svetlana didn’t know what she would face when her friend offered her an opportunity to work abroad with a high payment. All she knew was it was the best opportunity in her life, and she could go reach her dreams by working abroad. But once she stepped into the trapped of those evil people, she had no choice but doing what they want her to do. Svetlana's case is usually similar to majority of human trafficking cases. Many slaves have been tricked by traffickers who lure vulnerable people with false promises of good jobs or education. It's not only individuals who committed this crimes, but also a very tidy organized group. They always fascinate the victims with high hopes that they will have a much better life and they can start a new life that's brighter than the life they had back home. Why does this happen? Poverty, lack of employment opportunities, lack of knowledge and information, language barriers, weak law enforcement from government, unequal gender roles, and community and family pressures to employ children are the main factors why human trafficking keeps arising each day. This need to be stopped.

Anyone could be the victims of trafficking. But of course we can prevent that to happen. Spread the word and help raise awareness in our society about human trafficking. We are lucky we still live in a safe environment with people we love and be able to do what we want to do. Take a part of making a better place to live. I'm sure we all don't want to live in a world where slavery and human trafficking still happen to our fellow friends. I'm sure we all want to see them put a happy smile on their face again without the fear of being abused or even killed. The moment you decided to care, it's the moment this world becomes a better place to live in.